Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water temperatures were in the mid 60’s in the lower main lake and in the major creeks on Saturday (5/14/2016). The lake level was about 4 inches above the top of the dam. The water was medium brown and slightly to moderately cloudy in the central lower lake, with more murky water on downwind shorelines and in some creeks.
Most blue cats and bullheads were on flats in the main lake and scattered in creeks and hitting live minnows and cut bait. Some crappie were still scattered in major creek channels, some were on cypress knees and along shorelines in the main lake, and most were accumulating on mid-depth wood cover and along drop-offs in the main lake. Active crappie were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs, small tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, and small swim baits. Small to medium yellow perch were scattered or in loose aggregates on some main lake flats and in channels and on flats in major creeks and were hitting live minnows, small swim baits, and small jigs. Small to medium bluegill and shellcracker were scattered along some shorelines in major creeks and in the main lake and were hitting flies, small jigs, and live worms. Bluegill should accumulate over the next week for a spawn on the full moon. Some bass, pickerel, and bowfin were along shorelines, on lily pad flats, and along drop-offs in the major creeks and the main lake. When active, bass and pickerel were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits, jerk baits, and jigs.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Mickey Cleveland had 28 bluegill, 1 shellcracker, 13 crappie, and 2 yellow perch.